Cathedral Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite · near Tuolumne Meadows / Lee Vining · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 7.4 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,000 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- July–September (Tioga Road open) · Peak wildflowers mid-summer
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit for the day hike (wilderness permit needed only for overnight). On the John Muir Trail out of Tuolumne Meadows. Tioga Road access only. Yosemite entry reservation may apply in summer.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Iconic Cathedral Peak reflection · On the John Muir Trail · Alpine meadows & wildflowers · Upper & Lower lakes · Classic High Sierra scenery
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Tuolumne Meadows is Yosemite's high-country hub, an hour up Tioga Road from the Valley — cooler, quieter, and stunning. The Tuolumne Meadows Grill and the meadow itself are worth lingering over. Combine with Lembert Dome, the Tuolumne River, or Clouds Rest for a high-country day. Cathedral Peak is also a classic climb (climbing guide).
The guide
The hike to Cathedral Lakes is many people's introduction to Yosemite's high country, and it's a perfect one — a moderate 7.4-m…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Cathedral Lakes — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.854, -119.413